Project reteams Seyfried with Epstein, Friedman

Seyfried has been attached for several years to “Ivy League,” set up at McG’s Wonderland Sound and Vision banner. McG and Wonderland prexy of production Mary Viola are producing alongside Michael Nardelli and his Taggart Prods., which financed development.

Production is expected to start this year.

Seyfried will play con artist Esther Reed, who became the target of a nationwide manhunt after creating a fake ID and scamming her way into Columbia U. Journalist Sabrina Rubin Erdely’s article on Reed appeared in Rolling Stone in June 2009.

Epstein and Friedman directed “Howl,” which debuted at Sundance in 2010 before coming on to “Lovelace.” Epstein won Oscars for the documentaries “The Times of Harvey Milk” and “Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt.”

The Weinstein Co. acquired U.S. rights to “Lovelace” for $3 million in January at Sundance for release later this year. Movie stars Seyfriend as adult film starlet Linda Lovelace and Peter Sarsgaard as her abusive husband Chuck Traynor.

Epstein and Friedman are represented by WME and George Heller at Apostle Management.